Just some Wizard boysLiving in a Muggle world
by PhantomBookworm
Summary: Harry Potter au where Draco is brought up by his mother in the muggle world.
1. Number 13, Weavers Lane

Harry held his breath as he stood on the doorstep to number 13, Weavers Lane. Dudley and his gang had forced him to come here and had then dared him to ring the doorbell.

Or else.

 _Or else what?_ He had dared to ask.

 _We'll beat you up._

He was going to get hit anyway, so what did he have to loose? Harry reached a shaking hand to press the small grey button on the door frame. Risking a glance back, he could make out the smirks of the group of boys grouped six yards from the garden gate, none daring to come closer.

But he had.

His brief glow of pride was extinguished as the front door creaked open, revealing a short, plump, middle-aged woman.

"Come in, boy."

Glimpsing only the scared and shocked expressions of the group behind him, Harry had no choice but to follow her in.


	2. Inside Number 13

**Slightly longer this time! Sorry for slow updates but I have a busy life, I guess. And I get distracted easily. So...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~PhantomBookworm**

As the door shut quietly behind him, Harry pushed his slipping sellotaped glasses further up his nose, trying not to shiver with fright. The woman was already halfway down the hallway. Should he just go back out the door?

He swallowed nervously.

"Hurry up, lad," the woman called. "This way."

Silently Harry drifted towards her, not daring to touch any of the countless ornaments lined upon the card tables, dared not to stare too openly at the portraits that hung the walls, dared not breathe too loudly in case he disturbed the hushed house.

"This is the parlour," she said, pushing his unwilling form through the doorway. "Wait here, lad, and I'll fetch Mistress Cissy for you."

Harry found his voice at last. "Well, uhm, that really won't be necessary, Mrs -?"

"Call me Dorothy, dear, everybody does." She ushered him towards an overstuffed chair, ignoring his reluctance. Harry cast about desperately, trying to find a way to get out of the house.

"Dorothy-"

"Tea, dear?" The woman thrust a china cup under his nose, "Sugar?"

Harry hadn't noticed the tea set that had been balanced on a side table next to him. "Uh-" He took the cup that was full to the brim of steaming tea, saving himself the danger of getting scalded from the vigorous motions of Dorothy's ministrations. "Thank you."

He earned himself a warm smile as she hurried from the room. She was rather like an over-fond grandmother, he thought. If a bit odd. Harry sipped his tea. Just right, he noted. Strange. He hadn't mentioned that he preferred his tea with a spoon of sugar, and just a splash of milk.

Setting his tea aside on a table that just seemed to appear at his left elbow, harry moved towards the window and looked out desperately. Dudley and his gang were still there, he noted. Damn. It meant he couldn't climb out the window and escape.

Tmp. Tmp. Tmp.

Harry's heart thumped wildly as he heard footsteps coming down the corridor towards him. Before he could move from his position by the window the door was cast open, revealing-

A young boy. Huh. He'd been expecting someone more… Imposing.

About the same age as Harry, the boy had short blond hair and curiously grey eyes. He scanned the room before noticing the other boy standing, frozen at the window.

"Hello," the small child said, warily.

"Hello," Harry replied.

"Why are you here?"

Harry beckoned the boy to the window. "Look. My cousin dared me to ring the doorbell, they're all terrified of this place. But then who'd expect more of a pig in a wig?" A touch of pride entered his voice. "But _I_ rang the doorbell. But then Dorothy let me in and told me to wait here."

"Oh, Dorothy. She thinks that I need more friends my own age. That's probably why she wouldn't let you leave." The boy nodded to himself. "I'm Draco, by the way."

"Harry."

The two boys solemnly shook hands before they turned their attentions to the boys on the corner. Draco climbed onto the windowsill. "Is that him?"

"Is that who?"

"Your cousin."

Harry laughed. "Oh no, _that's_ not Dudley. That's Piers Polkiss. Dudley's _that_ one." He pointed to the large blond boy standing the furthest from the gate.

"You're right, he does look like a pig in a wig!"

The pair fell about laughing at the silently fuming Dudley. Harry even managed a cheerful wave at his cousin, who turned bright red and motioned for the rest of the gang to leave. After a rude gesture or two from Gordon and Malcom towards the house, the underage thugs moved off down the road, back to Privet Drive.

"Oh, shoot," Harry murmured.

"What is it?" Draco questioned.

"Bet they're going to tell my aunt and uncle. I live with them," Harry said in answer to Draco's questioning glance. "They're horrible. They hate me. I have to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs."

"We've got plenty of those, you could move in here!" The two boys laughed, already fast friends in the way that only young children can be.

"So, Draco, are you going to introduce me?"

Turning slowly towards the voice that had materialised at the door, Harry saw a tall, beautiful lady bend towards her son as she ran towards her.

"Mama!" Draco cried as he hugged her waist.

The woman knelt down as Harry warily approached. He could see Dorothy in the background, hiding a small smile as she witnessed the scene.

"Mama, I would like you to meet-"

"I'm Harry, Miss. Harry Potter."

Several things happened at once.

Draco gasped at his friend, shell shocked.

Dorothy dropped the tray of tea she was carrying.

And Narcissa Malfoy folded the young dark-haired boy to her chest and sobbed.


	3. On the doorstep

**Hey everyone! Hope all is well. I'm going to be having a mock period soon so I might not post for a week or two, or you might get about three chapters together, sorry!**

 **Enjoy. ~PhantomBookworm**

After Harry had been released from the embrace of Draco's mother- who insisted that he call her Narcissa- he turned to his nine-year-old companion.

"I- I don't-"

"Me neither," Draco replied, looking bemused at his mother's reaction. "I mean, that's the first time she's spoken to anyone outside of the family for ages- which is why I was so weirded out."

"Why hasn't she-?"

Draco shrugged. "I have no idea, like-"

"Boys," Dorothy called from the next room. "Do either of you want cake?"

Their conversation forgotten, both children hurried into the kitchen to be presented with a large slab of chocolate cake.

"Oh man, is that the time?" Harry said, dismayed. They were partway through an episode of 'Wizards of Waverly Place' that Draco had the boxset of. "My aunt and uncle are going to kill me!"

"Don't worry, we'll give you a lift," Draco replied. "MUM! CAN WE GIVE HARRY A LIFT BACK?" He yelled.

Ms Malfoy- sorry, Narcissa, Harry reminded himself- opened the door and glanced at her wristwatch. "Of course we can," she said. "Get yourselves ready, and I'll just get my coat." She left, and the boys rushed around, putting everything away.

Five minutes later, they were grouped by the door. "Dorothy," Narcissa said, "I'm just going to drive Harry home."

"Tea'll be on the table when you get back, Miss Cissy."

"Thank you Dorothy."

As soon as the trio stepped out of the door the large white garage door started to open. And Harry gazed, open mouthed, as it revealed the nicest, shiniest, most expensive car he'd ever seen. Draco opened the rear door and hopped in.

"Coming, Harry?"

Harry shakily climbed in the side of the car. "Is this a Bentley?"

"Yup!" Came the reply.

He touched the side of the car reverently as he shut the door. "Whoa," he whispered.

"Where was it that you lived, Harry?" Narcissa asked from the front seat.

"Number 4, Privet Drive," Harry answered shakily, now overcome with fear at how his uncle would react when he walked in the front door.

The large, black automobile drew up in front of the Dursely's home, and silently came to a halt. Harry could make out aunt Petunia's silhouette in the front window, which suddenly disappeared, only to reappear along with a shorter, much stouter shadow.

Uncle Vernon.

"Oh, damn." Harry muttered.

Seeming not to hear him, Narcissa opened the car door and strode imperiously towards the lighted porch of number four. Draco- and then Harry, right at the back- trailed after her.

"Are they as bad as you say they are?" Draco whispered.

"Worse," Harry replied fervently.

 _Rat-a-tat-a-tat._

Ms Malfoy rapped smartly on the door, and took a step back. "Harry, Draco, move forward please," she said.

The boys obeyed her and they were all standing smartly on the doorstep when the front door slowly opened, bathing them all in a harsh, bright glow.

"THERE YOU ARE BOY- oh!" Uncle Vernon's voice boomed from the pool of light that was now blocked by his decidedly large bulk. "Who are _you?"_

" _I_ am Ms Narcissa Malfoy, of 13 Weavers Lane. And you must be…?" The blonde woman raised an elegantly arched eyebrow, as if to declare that he was below her notice.

"Malfoy? Of- OH." Vernon's eyes grew as round as the moon. Even _he_ had heard- by way of Petunia, who had heard it from Mrs Figg, who had had it from Mrs Mason- that those from Weavers Lane were _very_ reputable, powerful and (as illustrated by the large Bentley parked outside the house) incredibly rich. He had also heard very _interesting_ titbits of information about this _specific_ individual that happened to be standing on _his_ doorstep. His voice was gruff as he said, "I am Vernon Dursely, of Grunnings. I expect you'd like to come in?"

"Not particularly," Narcissa replied, curling her lip. "But one needs must."


	4. Malfoy, meet Dursley

_Hi everyone. It's me again. I'm super sorry I've been neglecting you all for like, a year, so I'm going to have to fix that. Thank you all for hanging with me and all the comments, reviews, follows and favourites you've given me. Thanks. Love you all._

 _And so without further ado:_

 _~Phantombookworm_

Narcissa put a hand firmly on Harry's shoulder as he gingerly led the trio past the fuming Vernon. Sweeping into the living room, Narcissa settled into the comfy sofa, with Draco and Harry as far from the door as possible. The blond boy whispered something into Harry's ear, giggling, just as Dudley realised who was sitting opposite him and releasing a small squeak. Jumping from his chair, he ran as fast as his chubby legs could carry him into the kitchen.

Sighing, Narcissa glanced around the room just as a thin, horsy head poked from the doorway through which Dudley had just vanished. Blinking in alarm, the head retreated and hurried footsteps could be heard as owner scurried up the stairs. A quick banging of cupboards could be heard, and then the hurried footsteps could be heard coming back down the stairs. Frowning, Narcissa looked curiously towards the doorway just in time to see Vernon puff into view, Dudley almost hidden by his father's vast bulk.

"Ms Malfoy… _huff…_ would you like a… _huff…_ cup of tea?" Vernon frowned at the sight of his nephew (for the first time in his life) comfortably ensconced on _his_ sofa. How _dare_ he? The blond boy murmured something to Harry, who broke into giggles, infuriating his uncle.

"Not particularly, Mr Dursely, no."

Taken aback, Vernon flushed red. Passing to the drinks cabinet he asked, "Scotch, then? Brandy?"

"No, thank you. I will have to drive home." She paused, smiling at the effect she was having on the flustered Durselys.

"Oh, of… of course." Vernon poured himself a stiff measure of scotch before sinking into a chair. Just then the owner of the horsy-looking face appeared- now bedecked in a bright pink frilly house dress.

 _What on earth is that woman wearing?_ Narcissa thought, bewildered. _It's seven o'clock at night, in her own house!_

"Ah, Petunia," Vernon Dursely said, clearly more comfortable now he had another person to back him up. "This is Ms Malfoy and her son…?"

"Draco."

"Yes, her son Draco. She just came here to discuss…"

"Harry."

Petunia didn't look surprised. "Dudders told us exactly what happened, that stupid boy, annoying you like that-"

"Yes, he shouldn't have done it, he'll be grounded for the next month, don't worry."

Narcissa lifted an elegant eyebrow. "And by grounded, do you mean locked in his cupboard under the stairs without food for a month?" At the silent, blushing response, she continued. "I don't know what your son _has_ told you about your nephew, but I can assure you that it is all lies."

Dudley, tucked into his lay-z boy chair, had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"Dudders would never!" Petunia gasped.

"Did _Dudders_ tell you that he bullies your nephew? That his little gang make his life a misery? That he is the reason that his glasses are constantly broken and his arms and legs covered in bruises? Did he?"

"What? No, he-"

Narcissa continued, oblivious. "Or is it because of your precedent at home that he doesn't even question his actions because he's modelled them on the actions of his parents?"

In the shocked silence that followed, Narcissa Malfoy smirked at the Durselys. "Perhaps a glass of water would be nice?"

Narcissa sipped on the glass of water, still smiling faintly from the effect she had on the Durselys. Even Harry was smiling a little at the way that Vernon and Petunia had been pulled down a peg or two.

Vernon knocked back his scotch and then, face a ruddy red, pointed at Narcissa and squinted. "You shouldn't believe everything that… _child_ says. He's mentally deranged, you know."

"Gets it from his parents," Petunia added.

"See, it's all genetic, ain't it," Vernon said belligerently. "His dad was a toss-"

Suddenly Narcissa Malfoy was standing upright, her face pale and angry as she drew herself to her full height. "You will _not_ talk about Harry James Potter in that way _ever again_. You have _no right_ to say those things about him and his family." She placed her right hand on her opposite wrist, fingering the long piece of wood concealed beneath her jacket cuff.

Vernon Dursely gaped at her, his mouth working furiously but to no effect. He took another shaky mouthful of scotch, before turning to the children. "Dudley, got to your room. Harry, take your friend to your-"

"To the spare room," Petunia said, glaring at her husband in a manner that suggested that their visitors should not know any more about Harry's sleeping arrangements.

"Actually, Aunt Petunia, I'd like to show Draco my room, please," Harry said quietly.

"Fine." Turning her steely gaze at her nephew she motioned him from the living room before shutting the door on the young children.

 _I know it's not much but I'm gonna keep updating. I promise!_


	5. Under the Stairs

_Now because you're all so awesome, here's another short chapter. Love these two kids._

 _~Phantombookworm_

Harry tugged Draco away from the closed living room door and pulled him down the hallway.

"Are they always like that?" Draco asked, a frown creasing his young face.

"Yeah, pretty much. Sometimes worse, but that'll probably be after you've left." Harry shrugged, feigning nonchalance, only his eyes betraying how scared he was about the aftermath of the Malfoy's visit.

Draco squeezed his hand in comfort and looked around. "So where's your cupboard, Harry?"

Glad for the change in subject, Harry pulled open the door that was mostly hidden within the shadows of the hallway. Fumbling along the wall, he found the light cord and yanked firmly. "You're not afraid of spiders, are you, Draco?"

His friend grinned at him, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "No, but how's Dudders?"

Comfortably huddled in the small space, Draco glanced around at Harry's small collection of belongings. There was half a roll of sellotape, some broken models that had been lovingly placed on the small shelf above the mattress, and an old, chipped mug that held an assortment of biros that came in those charity envelopes, perched on half a dozen books and notepads. The bare lightbulb was shrouded in cobwebs, and the springs in the mattress dug uncomfortably into his behind. Looking at Harry, who looked nervous and almost ashamed, he smiled. "It's so cool!" Draco enthused, smiling as he saw Harry's eyes light up with relief. "I like him," he said, pointing at a small tin soldier who was sporting a bright red jacket and a rifle.

"He's my favourite," Harry said proudly, picking him up. "Dudley had a collection of tin soldiers when he was seven. Lieutenant Frank was the only one to survive the bin when he got bored with them after a couple of weeks. Oh, and one of the gun horses." He pulled the figure from the shelf and blew off the dust, brushing its textured coat gently. It had flakes of black paint clinging stubbornly its surface, and a tiny harness fashioned from wire. Missing a front leg and an ear, it had clearly seen better days. "This is Rob Roy."

"After that horse from Black Beauty? The one that died at the beginning?" Draco asked, confused.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, we had to read it in class once. Here, you hold him."

Draco marvelled at the small metal figure, painted eyes still brightly shining. It looked almost alive, the way that the model held itself with such dignity despite the missing limbs. He softly stroked the horsehair tail, and examined the tiny face. "He's so cool," he said, staring at the toy held carefully in his hands. Suddenly a tickle fell down his cheek and he started, almost hitting the low ceiling. "Wha-?!"

A small hand touched his face and Draco looked up in panic to see Harry pulling the spider away from him. "You okay?" Harry asked, a concerned expression on his face.

"Yeah," Draco breathed heavily, getting over his fright. "Just a little surprised, that's all."

"Sorry."

Draco glanced at the boy opposite him on the narrow bed. Harry had withdrawn, sadness and concern written on his visage. He put a gently hand on the dark haired boy's thin shoulder. "Harry, I'm fine. It was only a spider! I'm not going to die, for goodness sake."

Harry finally looked up, still looking upset. "But if I didn't live in this stupid cupboard-"

"Harry. It. Was. A. Spider. Not your fault. Okay?" Draco's hand moved to ruffle Harry's hair as the boy started to smile again.

"Alright."

Then Draco was tickling Harry for all he was worth, until the small boy burst into high-pitched giggles, his eyes creased with mirth. This sound of happiness shocked Draco so much that he too, burst into laughter.

The two boys slumped against the wall, chests heaving as they fought to stop laughing. And then a spider landed on Harry's face and that was it. The two boys collapsed into helpless giggles.


	6. Narcissa vs the Dursleys

_Hi everyone! I'm sorry that I have taken about six months to upload again (sorry). Lots of stuff has been happening, will tell you at the end of the chapter. As always, R &R, ILY, Sorry I'm useless at uploading_

 _~PhantomBookworm_

Narcissa turned to face the Dursleys once the two boys had left the room. "You should be ashamed of yourselves," she scolded. "Treating a child the way you do."

Vernon blustered for a moment as Petunia turned a shocking shade of scarlet, completely clashing with the dress she was now wearing. Narcissa cut their protests off with a glare as she then asked: "why do you keep Harry? It's obvious that you don't want to. Why didn't you put him up for social services when you found him on your doorstep?"

"We were strictly told- wait, how do you know how-?"

"Never mind that," Narcissa waved her hand dismissively. "Let's just say I have friends in high places. Some of whom you may have heard of."

Vernon stared at her, mouth agape, clearly wondering how he could best tap into these influential networks like the smarmy business man he was. Petunia, however, was staring distantly at the wall as she spoke.

"We were told to keep him. It'd keep him safe, they said. He said it was for my sister, Lily. We had to keep him. He was the only part of her I had left, and I had to keep him safe."

Narcissa quirked an eyebrow. This sounded like an all-too-familiar brand of guilt tripping, one that she herself had experience with. Trying to question Petunia gently, she asked, "who said that you had to keep him safe?"

Petunia shuddered, as though it was difficult to let out this particular secret.

"It was Albus Dumbledore, wasn't it?" Narcissa sighed gently.

Petunia let out a high-pitched whine as Vernon turned an ugly shade of puce.

Narcissa muttered several un-lady-like words under her breath. _Fantastic._ This was a plan that had Albus' fingerprints _all_ over it. Probably part of the same ridiculous and far-fetched, highly improbable plan that had her and her son living in the middle of muggle Surrey, which was a place filled with stuck up toffs like the Dursleys. Once Lucius had been locked away after the Wizarding war, Albus had vouched for the two remaining Malfoys, on the condition that everything would be done to ensure that Draco would lose the prejudices against muggles that Lucius had gained so forcefully from his father Abraxas Malfoy, and Narcissa from her father, Cygnus Black. Therefore, Draco had mostly known no magic (or as little as Narcissa could get away with) for much of his young life. This was likely to change soon, as her son approached his tenth and then eleventh birthdays with increasing speed.

"So, to clarify, you keep Harry because you were told to?"

"Yes."

"And because you want to look after him on behalf of your late sister, Lily Potter?"

"Y-yes."

Narcissa pinched the bridge of her nose between her fore-finger and thumb as she took a deep breath. She could feel a migraine coming along as she stared at the stupid woman sitting in front of her.

"DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD WANT HER SON LIVING UNDER YOUR STAIRS, BEING BULLIED BY HIS COUSIN AND TORMENTED BY YOU, THE ONLY FAMILY HE HAS LEFT?"

Petunia leaned backwards from the shock, almost toppling from her chair. Vernon, who had been mostly silent throughout the exchange except for the odd frustrated grumble, leapt from his chair to confront the woman that was in his living room. He had no idea what was going on, but he was going to chip in his tuppence worth.

"How dare you talk to my wife like that?! We have every right to treat that- that- that _boy_ any way we like under our roof! He's nothing but an inconvenience, an unnatural breed-"

 _Gods,_ Narcissa thought. _He sounds so much like Lucius._ How ironic, that there was pureblood priggishness on both sides of the magical and non-magical community.

"Mr Dursley," Narcissa said, frustrated now. "What has this boy ever done to you to be treated in this way? Dumbledore, I believe, asked that you treat him _like a son._ Is that how you've treated him? Is it? I think not."

"He's an unnatural being! Do you know what his parents were?!" Vernon fumed. "He has no right to be treated like a son!"

"He is a CHILD, for heaven's sake, and should be treated like one! Which means he should have his own room, not a cupboard under the stairs! He should have adequate amounts of food and new clothes that fit him, and he shouldn't live in fear of his life when he meets Dudley and his friends! He is as much of a human as you or I, so treat him like one!"

Both Dursleys gaped at this outburst, withdrawn in their chairs.

"I will also personally let Dumbledore know of what you have done-" she very much enjoyed the reaction _that_ particular threat received- "And I will personally be keeping an eye on the boy, do you understand? If I hear anything, anything at all that could be labelled as abuse or neglect, there _will_ be consequences." She smiled. "Do you understand?"

The Dursleys nodded mutely.

A/N

 _So, I am alive (pretty sure, anyway). Sorry I've been AWOL recently, I've just survived my first two terms of Uni, got broken up with by my last bf bc he's a shitty dick, had a long crush on a flatmate, got turned down by said flatmate (he's nice, we work better as friends, he's happy being single and I 100% respect him for that), got very confused by people actually liking me as a person, was very confused by sexuality (it's a confusing place), fell for my very best (female) friend who I am now dating (we are v. happy, thank you all), had some househunting stresses, and oh, a whole bunch of fun uni assignments._

 _but that's enough about my confusing life. I'll try to keep up with this fic (and my other fics, if you haven't read them, please please check them out)._

 _Sorry guys, hopefully be back soon!_

 _Love you all_

 _~PhantomBookworm_


	7. Spiders

_Hi everyone! I'm trying to be a bit more regular with updates (blame my girlfriend). I also wrote this on the overnight bus from Cornwall to London, so I'm sorry if it rambles or doesn't make sense._

 _As always, please leave a comment if you enjoyed it, please please please tell me what you think!_

 _Love you all_

 _~PhantomBookworm_

"Is this enough, do you think?" Harry asked, breathless with excitement.

"Yeah, should be! You said that Dudley didn't like spiders, didn't you?"

Harry nodded mutely, a worried frown between his brows. "Draco…. You sure this is a good idea? What'll happen if the Dursleys find out?"

Draco smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, mum's talking to them right now. She's usually great at getting things fixed up- I don't know how she does it. Besides, if we do this right, Dudley won't even know it was us." Draco paused, looking worriedly at his friend. "Are you okay, Harry? You look scared."

Harry bit his lip one more time, and then must have made up his mind. He straightened his shoulders, a strange fire burning behind his bent and scratched glasses. "No, let's do it." He picked up the Tupperware pot that he and Draco had painstakingly filled with spiders from his cupboard, and then opened the door. Peeking his head out, he could hear the adults still talking in the living room, quieter than before. A few minutes before they had heard muffled raised voices through the walls of his cupboard. He shrank back at the memory, scared at what is aunt and uncle may do to him later. He shook his head, determined. If he could get one up on Dudley tonight, then it wouldn't be so bad. Dragging up a small glow of courage from deep with in him, he pulled Draco out of the cupboard.

"All's clear," he whispered.

The two boys tiptoed towards the stairs. "Mind those two," Harry muttered. "They creak like anything."

"Thanks."

Creeping slowly up the stairs, they made it to the landing, careful not to make a sound. "Which door is Dudley's?" Draco murmured under his breath.

Harry pointed in reply.

Slowly, scarcely drawing breath, they crouched next to the door frame, facing each other. Harry nodded, and held out the Tupperware tub. Prising the lid loose, he and Draco tilted the tub next to the crack under the door, holding their breath as one by one, long, skinny legs unfurled from the box as spiders rushed from their enclosed prison to explore their new home.

Once the tub was empty, Draco softly clicked the lid back in place before the two boys rushed down the stairs, hopping the final two, barely holding in their giggles until they made it safe into Harry's cupboard.

"The best part…." Draco said, wheezing with laughter, "is that… he won't realise…"

"Until one lands on him!" Harry finished, giggling. He knew that these spiders had a habit of falling on you in the middle of the night, especially if you were to toss and turn as much as he knew Dudley was prone to do.

The two boys collapsed backwards onto Harry's rickety, narrow bed, panting from their excitement and their laughter. Silent for a moment, Harry wondered what the adults next door were discussing. It must be something to do with him, mustn't it? That was why Draco and himself had been told to leave, surely. He worried about what Narcissa was telling them, and what she was learning about him in return. Was it about his behaviour? Would he be allowed to see Draco again, and to ride in that fantastic car and taste Dorothy's cake? To play hide and seek in the Malfoy's huge house? To have- dare he think it- a friend?

Or were the Dursleys telling Ms Malfoy all about the strange things he did, what a difficult and ungrateful child he was? About all the trouble he would get in at school, like that time he tried to escape from Dudley and his friends by jumping behind the bins and instead ended up on the roof? Or the time that Aunt Petunia gave him an awful haircut and it grew back overnight? Because he was so different, so peculiar, would Draco not be allowed to see him again? He inhaled sharply.

Harry was panicking, and Draco could sense it.

"Hey, Harry," Draco said, sitting up on the mattress, "tell me about that time you had to play rounders with Dudley's year and you hit him in the face with the ball."

Harry gave him a grateful glance. That had been funny. Dudley had shouted until his face was as blue as the bruise on his eye. It had also broken his nose. The P.E teacher had restrained him because he was threatening to kill his cousin, and since Dudley had 'ordered' his gang to attack Harry, had also given the boys a fortnight of detentions. The Dursleys had been furious, trying any possible way to get Dudley off the hook and Harry punished instead. The P.E teacher had stuck up for him, saying that 'accidents happen' and that 'the boy didn't mean to'. It was true. Harry wasn't even aiming at Dudley, who was lounging somewhere around second base with his mates. The ball had originally been hit someplace towards fourth base, before the ball seemed to have decided to curve towards the older boy. Strange.

Still, watching Dudley's face turn through many shades of blue, purple, black and green was well worth the small meals and the decidedly frosty shoulder the Dursleys gave him until it had healed up. And, since the doctor at the hospital couldn't quite set Dudley's nose straight when they tried to, he was left with a slight upturn and crookedness to his nose which reinforced the image of a well-fed pig, walking on hindlegs and dressed in human clothes.

 _Thanks for reading everyone! There is another short chapter written and working on some more._

 _See you soon!_


	8. After the Storm

Hi all!  
I haven't written much more of this story (I'm blaming Easter holidays) and so this is the short chapter I wrote a couple of weeks ago. I hope you enjoy it.  
Thank you to everyone reading/reviewing/following and favourite-ing! I couldn't do it without you guys. (Well, I could but then where would my motivation be?)  
Lots of love always!  
~PhantomBookworm

Narcissa finally stood up to leave after 'discussing' a few more points with the Dursleys. "I'd best be getting home," she said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was after nine. "It's past Draco's bedtime."  
"Why, yes, of course," Vernon blustered, smiling. "I'll just call the boys for you." The slimy suck-up that Vernon Dursley was had made him somewhat accepting of Ms Malfoy, if only for the money and power she represented. He was also a little scared of the tall, thin woman, even if he wouldn't admit it. Waddling into the hall, he banged on the cupboard door, startling Harry and Draco out of their sleepy game of 'go fish'. "Come on out, you two," he grunted loudly. "Ms Malfoy wats to leave."  
Harry scuttled out of the cupboard as fast as his legs could carry him, immediately afraid of his uncle and what mood he may be in. Instead, he was surprised to see the man there with a pleased grin on his face, rubbing his hands together as though he had struck an important business deal. Which, in a way, he had. Ms Malfoy had agreed to help fund Harry's education until he was 'of age', whatever that meant. Harry would be going to a private school, paid and provided for by Ms Malfoy, which meant that he, Vernon Dursley, would no longer be accountable for whatever mischief the boy got up to at school, heaven knows he'd given them enough grief- what with breaking Dudder's nose, climbing school buildings and whatnot.  
The Draco boy emerged more slowly, confused as to the sudden noise. "Your mother wishes to leave now," Vernon grunted at him, trying to appear friendly to the young boy. Draco grimaced at the face Vernon was pulling and pushed past him to the living room, Harry in tow.  
"It was nice meeting you, Harry," Narcissa said, giving the boy another warm hug. "You'll come by tomorrow for tea, won't you?"  
Harry looked at his aunt and uncle, confused. "Uncle Vernon… may I?"  
"Of course you can, boy. And you'll be changing schools in September, so you'll have to talk to Ms Malfoy about that tomorrow, won't you?"  
"I will?"  
"Yes, yes, it's all been arranged. Now say good night to these people, and then go upstairs to your room." Vernon smiled, which was a tad terrifying in its own way.  
"My… room?" Harry had never felt so much like a fish out of water in his life, confused and bewildered. What on earth was going on?  
"Yes boy, looks like you've uh… _outgrown_ your old one under the stairs, haven't you?" Vernon glanced at his wife, looking for reassurance. He found it in the form of a sharp nod, and satisfied, he turned back to his nephew, making violent 'shooing' motions. "Now go and show these nice people out."  
Harry looked at Draco uncertainly as he quickly made his way out of the living room. "What did you say to them?!" He whispered to Narcissa.  
"That," she replied. "Is none of your business." But as she said it, there was a certain twinkle in her eye as she winked at the boys. "I just reminded them of a few things, is all. Set a few things straight."  
"Wow," Harry breathed. "Thank you."  
Draco grinned proudly. "Told you she was good at that, didn't I?"  
Harry hadn't realised just how good.  
"We'll be expecting you at six, Harry, if that's okay?" She smiled, wolf-like for a second. "Or we could send the car around, scare them even more?"  
"T-t-thank you." Harry stuttered, lost for words.

"No problem, Harry," Narcissa smiled, bent to kiss his forehead and then swept out of the Dursley residence and into the night, her son holding tight to her hand and waving furiously at his friend as they drove away.  
"As Harry lay in bed that night, staring at the unfamiliar and un-sloping ceiling, he couldn't help a small smile break out on his face as he thought about what had happened. Here he was, in the spare bedroom - _his bedroom_ \- of number four, Privet Drive, with enough room to stand up and not have to worry about knocking his head when he jumped out of bed in the mornings. Okay, so the shelves were filled with Dudley's broken toys, the mattress was lumpy, and the bed frame creaked if you dared to breathe too hard, but right now, having gained a friend and having learnt that he was moving schools - _away from Dudley and his gang_ \- Harry felt that he could be floating on a cushion of air. Tomorrow he'd salvage what he could from Dudley's cast-aways and visit Draco and Narcissa for tea.  
Sighing contentedly to himself, Harry rolled further into the duvet and fell fast asleep. 

_sorry guys who have another notification that this is an update- someone told me that the formatting went all weird so we re-edited it_ ~PhantomBookworm


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